Device for cutting or destroying torpedo-nets.



- w. GOLSTEYN. DEVICE- FOR CUTTING 0R DESTROYING TORPEDO NETS.

APPLICATION'PILBD NOV. 7, 1911.

COLUMBIA PLANGGRAPH CCL, WASHINGTON. u. C.

y which destroys the net.

To all whom t may concern Netherlands, have invented certain new and`following 1s a specication,

yting or destroying torpedo nets of the type FilQE.

WILLEM GOLST'EYN, OF AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS.

DEVICE .FOR CUTTING OR DESTROYING- TORPEDO-NETS.

rai-.entes .hay e, isis.

Serial. N0. 658,934.

Application le. November 7, 1911.

In the example of Figs. 1 to t a plate g which can be attached to thenose of the tore pedo carries four firing tubes fw arrangedsymmetrically to eacht other and to the axis of the torpedo. The plate gis also provided with a tube t lying in the extension of the axis of thetorpedo, in which tube works the percussion needle a. rlhe stifteningand connection of the fo-ur tubes w with each other and with the tube tis eifected by four ribs i and a conically formed end wall L. Each tubew contains a piston-like projectile m. The ends of all these projectilesproject from the tubes 'w and carry a ring n having a sharp front edge.ln the charge space of each firing tube w is placed a cartridge v whichis discharged when the projectile m, is forced backward by encounteringa net.

The percussion bolt which is acted on by a spring j", is held in cockedposition by means of a locking pin c, the end of the said bolt thenlying behind the plane of the edge of the ring m. The withdrawal of thislocking pin c is e a bell Be it known that I, VViLLni/r GoLsTni'rN, asubject of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, residing at Stalpertstraat16, Amsterdam,

useful improvements in Devices for Cutting or Destroying Torpedo-Nets,of which the reference being acompanying drawing.

devices for cuthad therein to the rlhis invention relates to in which anauxiliary charge is employe the explosion of which actuates a member Theinvention consists substantially in an improved device of the above typein which a number of firing tubes in the nose of the torpedo and lyingparallelto the direction of its travel, contain piston like projectilesof which the ends projecting out of the firing tubes carry, a commonring, the said projectiles'causing discharge of cartridges contained inthe firing tubes when they are forced into said tubes by the ringencountering a torpedo net. When a percussion bolt for the discharge ofthe torpedo is provided in the nose of the torpedo it is necessary thatthe tearing device sho-nld project beyond this bolt to prevent prematuredischarge. Owing to this circumstance, when a net is not present z'. e.when the torpedo strikes the ships side directly the torpedo would notbe actuated since the ring projecting beyond the end of the percussion"bolt, would prevent the latter from operating. To prevent this, specialmeans are provided whereby when the ring strikes the ships side directlythe percussion bolt is securely operated. To increase thedestructiveness of the device the ends of the projectiles projectingfrom the firing tubes may be provided with projecting wings or blades.

The invention is described with reference. to the accompanying drawings,in which the rst four figures relate to an example in which thepercussion bolt is tted in the nose of the torpedo while the firing tubefor expelling the tearing ring is arranged symmetrically about thepercussion bolt.

Figures l and 2 are a vertical axial sectio-n and an end elevationrespectively. Figs. 3 and l are sections at A B and C D of Fig. 1. Fig.5 shows a construction of the tearing device in which the ring iscarried by a single projectile which lies in a firing tube arranged inthe axis of the torpedo.

ifected by means of crank lever l) mounted on one of the ribs i andhaving an' arm, lying in radial direction, and in the path of aprojection r on one of the projectiles m, a slot 7: being provided inthe wall 7L to allow the movement -of this projection. The length ofthis projection r is such that it only encounters the arms of the bellcrank lever b when the projectile m is forced completely into the firingtube fw beyond the limit of firing, which occurs when a net is notpresent and the projectile m strikes directly the side of the ship.

To increase the destructiveness of the device, cutting wings or blades omay be provided at the front ends of the projectiles m. To insure thedischarging of all the cartridges c the charge spaces of all the firingtubes lw may be connected by firing channels.

The device operates as follows: Vxhen the torpedo strikes the topedonet, the projectiles m? owing to the small resistance of the net aredriven into the tubes only far enough to effect discharge of thecartridges fv. The projectiles m are thereby fired cut of the tubes wandthe ring n. impelled against the net with the combined velocity ofthe torpedo and projectiles m thus tearing the net and enabling thetorpedo to strike the side the ship without obstruction. VV hen thetorpedo strikes against the side of the ship the end of the percussionbolt t projecting beyond the tube t encounters the side of the ship andisvfo-rced into the firing position owing to the simultaneous shearingof the locking pin 0 and the action of the spring j'. 'Io prevent thepercussion bolt a from glancing off the side of the ship, the end of thebolt is made concave. If the Aship being attacked is not provided withtorpedo nets the ring nstrikes against the ships side directly. Theprojectiles m are thereby forced inward but the expelling effect of theexploding cartridges v is not exerted owing to the kinetic energy of thetorpedo, the projectiles m in spite of the explosion of the cartridgesbeing driven farther into the firing tubes. fw.

In order to render certain the firing ac tion of the percussion bolta'behind the plane of the front edge of the ring n also in the case whenthe 'projectiles fm, and the ring n are not r'ed out, the previouslydescribed arrangement of the releasing lever b and projection 1 isprovided. In this case the projection 1 of the projectile m which isforced back, will rotate the lever I) to the left thus lifting thelocking pin c' out of its n'ormal position and freeing the percussionbolt a..

.The modification shown in Fig. 5 isspecially applicable in conjunctionwith firing mechanisms of the known type in .which by, means of apercussion bolt arranged in theinterior ofthe torpedo and set inactionby the. inertia of a `movably mounted'l heavy body when the torpedostrikes against al ship. In this modification the ring n for destroyingthe torpedo net,instea d .of beingmounted on a number-.of projectiles,is carried by a single projectile ring which along withl a cartridge ois located in.v a -w` in the axis ofthe torpedo.

I-Iaving now particularlyu'described nd.` ascertained the nature of mysaid invenlg n,

and in what manner the same is?` to be p r-l formed, I declare 'thatwhat I claimis:

l. In a device of the character descrilcd ring tubes inthe nose of the1torpedo-and disposed parallel to the direction of their. travel, pistonlike projectiles, insaid ltubes",-

a ring carried on the projecting end of said project-iles, cartridges insaid firing tubes tering a torpedo net.

having firing tubes in the torpedo parallel to the direction of theirtravel,lpiston like projectiles in said tubes, a percussion bolt, aspring acting on said bolt, a locking pin releasably holding saidpercussion bolt until piston like projectiles are driven deeply'intjofAsaid'firing tubes. l A

3. In a device for destroying torpedo nets comprising firing tubes inthe nose of the torpedo and disposed parallel to the direc- -tions oftheir travel, piston like projectiles in said tubes, a ring carried onthe projectingends of said projectiles, cartridges in Vsaid firing tubesdischarged by said projectiles when they are forced into said tubes 'bythe ring encountering a torpedo net, a *l spring actuated percussionbolt, a locking the firing of the-torpedo charge .'isiefect'ed j vpinreleasably holding said percussion bolt, until the piston likeprojectiles are driven deeplyy into said firing tubes'and a cuttingI g jblade on the ends of said projectiles.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my i' signature in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLEM GOLSTEYN. flNtn'esses: j

v D. P. DnYoUNG, P. HILDERING.

Copies of this patent maybefobtained .for five cents each, byaddressingthe WashngtomD. C. r

Commissioner of Patents,

